Weft replenishing loom



Oct. 17, 1944. TURNER WEFT REPLENISHING LOOM Filed July 21, 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 |NVEN TOR RICHARDGZTURNER ATTORNEY 0a. 17, 1944. R. G. TURNER 2,360,529

, WEFT REPLENISHING LOOM Filed July 21, 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet 2' I34- 'INVENTOR' 5 Run/mo G. Tunusn ATTORNEY Oct. 17, 1944. R TURNER 2,360,529

WEFT REPLENISHING LOOM Filed July 21, 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet s 5' 2 INVENTOR v RICHARD G=Tun-ER ATTORNEY Oct. 17, 1944. TURNER 2,360,529

WEFT REPLENISHING LOOM RIGHARDG-TURNER ATTORNEY Oct. 17, 1944. TURNER 2,360,529

WEFT REPLENISHING LOOM Filed July 21, 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIE 'i mmmmmmmwmm luvzw-ron RICHARD GZTURNE'R ATTORNEY Oct. 17, 1944. R. G. TURNER 2,360,529

WEFT REPLENISHING LOOM Filed July 21, 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 l Flag INvE'NToR RIC-HARD ETURNER ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 17, 1944 WEFT REPLENISHING LOOM Richard G. Turner, Worcester, Mass., assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application July 21, 1941, Serial No. 403,326

22 Claims.

This invention relates to a loom so constructed that it can be used either for automatic weaving with diverse colors in the weft, automatic weaving for mixing wefts' of the same color, or non-automatic pick and pick weaving with four or more shuttle boxes on each side of the loom.

It has been customary heretofore to employ a stationary magazine having several vertical stacks of reserve bobbins for transfer into any one of several distinctive weaving shuttles. Looms of this type ordinarily employ shifting shuttle boxes on one side only of the loom, It has also been proposed heretofore to use a rotary magazine having reserve bobbins all of the same color on a pick and pick filling mixing loom employing shifting shuttle boxes at the magazine end in addition to other boxes at the opposite end of the loom.

When the magazine with diverse colors is used it is in relatively low position with respect to the lay, but must be relatively high when used in automatic pick and pick weaving to accommodate the up motion of the shuttle boxes under it. It is an important object of my present invention to provide means for setting the stationary magazine either in low or high position and connected so that it can function as a replenishing mechanism in either position, whether the loom be running with diverse wefts or pick and pick.

Included in the construction of the stationary magazine are vertical slides and a selector for them operating to release a bobbin from any selected stack. The selector is controlled in part by the weft detector with the aid of a constantly rotating cam. It is another object of my present invention to provide two cams which are interchangeable to operate the magazine and weft detector, one cam for use with diverse wefts and the other for the single color weft used when mixing filling.

Automatic looms weaving with diverse colors complete their cycle of operations with the aid of a cam having a complete rotation in two successive picks of the loom. In filling mixing pick and pick weaving, however, the sequence of box movements at the magazine end is such as to require four consecutive picks for a complete cycle, the boxes being up for two picks and then down the following two picks. It is a further object of my present invention to provide controls for the automatic features of the loom which will permit replenishment in the pick and pick filling mixing setting when the boxes are up during the first pair of picks of the four-pick cycle, but prevent such operation during the second pair of the picks of the cycle when the boxes are down. This may conveniently be accomplished by locking the feeler against action during the second pair of picks, thus enabling the magazine to be used for automatic filling mixing although controlled by a cam which completes its cycle of operations in two picks.

It is another object of my present invention to provide a control for the magazine selector which operates to shift the selector so that successive transfers will involve bobbins derived from different stacks so that a mixing of the weft will be effected at the magazine. The controller for the selector is operated by the transfer mechanism at a time when the cam used for the pick and pick filling mixing setting is holding certain parts of the magazine stationary by means of the dwell on it.

Another feature of my invention relates to the mounting for the magazine whereby the latter can be held in two different vertical positions the distance between which is substantially the distance between the two shuttle boxes under the magazine used for pick and pick filling mixing. This feature involves a pair of inter-changeable magazine supports and also braces for the top of the magazine which are equally effective to hold the upper part of the magazine whether the same be in high or low position.

A feature of the supports is that the one employed for the low setting of the magazine serves as a mounting for the shuttle position detector which revokes an initiated transfer if the shuttle be improperly positioned to receive the reserve bobbin. The support for the magazine in high position has no provision for mounting the shuttle position detector and there is no possibility thatthis detector can be used when weaving pick and pick filling mixing. There is no possibility therefore that the detector will be damaged by the shifting of the shuttle boxes.

In order to facilitate the description which follows the loom will be referred to as having several settings, the 4 x 1 setting corresponding to that employing diverse wefts with the magazine in low position, the 4 x 2 setting corresponding to the magazine in high position when a series of shuttles follow each other in a definite rotation for mixing filling in pick and pick weaving, and a 4 x 4 setting referring to the non-automatic arrangement wherein four shuttle boxes at each side of the loom can become active for weaving pick and pick non-automatic with any number of shuttles up to seven.

With these and other detailed objects which will be pointed out as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a loom having my invention applied thereto, the magazine being in the 4 x 2 setting,

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 22 of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale,

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of arrow 3, Fig. 2, but showing the magazine in the 4 x 1 setting,

Fig. 4 is a detailed side elevation looking from the center of the loom in the direction of arrow 4, Fig. 3 showing the magazine and associated parts on an enlarged scale and in the 4 x 2 setting,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal section on line 55 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 6 is a detailed end elevation looking in the direction of arrow 6, Fig. 5 and showing the locking control for the weft detector,

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary vertical section on line '!1, Fig. 4, showing the details of one of the bobbin releasing vertical slides and the selector.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 2 showing the lower left side of the magazine,

Fig. 9 is a detail front elevation of the selector controller for the 4 x 2 setting, looking in the direction of arrow 9, Fig. 4,

Figs. 10 and 11 are diagrammatic views looking in the direction of arrow Ii), Fig. 1, showing the actuator lever operating cams for the 4 x 1 and 4 x 2 settings, respectively, of the loom,

Fig. 12 is a vertical section on line I 2-|2, Fig. 9,

Fig. 13 is a view similar to a portion of Fig. 4 but showing the details of the transfer revoking mechanism used with the 4 x 1 setting,

Fig. 14 is a front elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 13,

Fig. 15 is a collective side and front elevation of the magazine support for the 4 x 1 setting, and

Fig. 16 is similar to Fig. 15 but for the 4 x 2 setting, and

Fig. 17 is a detail end elevation in the direction of arrow l1, Fig. 1, showing the supplementary guide for the shuttle boxes in the 4 x 4 setting.

General Zoom construction Referring particularly to Fig. 1, loom frame H1, lay L. lay swords I! rocker shaft l2 and reed R are of usual construction. A lay end 13 at the left of Fig. 1 has inner and outer box guides I4 and I5, respectively, for a gang GL of vertically shifting shuttle boxes having four cells IS, I1, [8 and i9 each of which can be moved to active position in alignment with the shuttle race 20. A box lifter rod 2! guided in a rocker foot 22 on shaft I2 is raised against the action of spring 23 around it by a chain 24 trained over lay carried pulleys 25 and also under a pulley 26, from whence the chain leads to any approved form of box operating mechanism not shown, such as that used in the so-called Knowles head. The picker stick 2'! pivoted to the rocker foot 22 is operated preferably on alternate beats of the loom.

The lay is reciprocated by connectors 28, one of which is shown in Fig. 2, attached to the wrist 23 of a top or crank shaft to which is secured a gear 3| meshing with a gear 32 of twice its dia eter mounted on the bottom shaft 33. Top shaft 30 therefore turns twice as fast as the bottom shaft and the latter has one rotation for each pair of succesive picks.

At its right end the lay has a lay end 35 having inner and outer box guides 36 and 31, respectively, to guide a gang of boxes GR. having in the present instance upper and lower cells 38 and 38, each with a binder 34 which constitute an active pair of boxes, and having also other lower cells 40 and 4! which will not ordinarily be active when the loom is arranged for automatic replenishment. Gang GR is mounted on a box lifter rod 42 and is raised by a chain 43 against the action of a spring 44 surrounding rod 42 and acting in the usual manner to lower the boxes. The rod 42 extends through a rocker foot 45 on the rocker shaft l2 and chain 43 is fastened to rod 42 and. trained over lay carried pulleys 46 and 41 and under a pulley 48 concentric with pulley 2B and then leads to the box operating mechanism. A picker stick 49 pivoted on foot 45 has a working stroke on those beats of the loom on which picker stick 2'! is inactive.

The gangs GL and GR are movable with respect to the lay independently of each other so that any shuttle box at either end of the lay can become active when the loom is weaving nonautomatically pick and pick, and either of cells 38 or 39 may be active when weaving automatically pick and pick. Except as indicated hereinafter that part of the m already described is constructed and operated in the usual manner.

M ulti-cell magazine The weft replenishing mechanism includes a reserve bobbin magazine M similar to that customarily employed on automatic multicolor looms, and is operative to release a reserve bobbin and transfer it into a depleted shuttle, whether in the 4 x 1 or 4 x 2 setting. The magazine has an inner plate 5!! formed in the present instance with four vertical guideways 53, 54, 55 and 56 which hold the heads of four stacks of reserve bobbins B. B2, B3 and 134, respectively. An outer plate 5| is formed with guides 52 for the tip ends of the reserve bobbins.

At the bottom of each stack of reserve bobbins is located a normally empty cradle 63 having. a nose Bl which supports th bobbins above it, and a pin 62 to hold a bobbin in the cradle. The usual position of the cradles is shown in full lines in Fig. 2 and in dotted lines in Fig. 8. When a cradle rocks from normal to bobbin receiving osition, that is, from the dotted to the full line position shown in Fig. 8, the corresponding stack of bobbins will descend and the lowest bobbin in it will enter the cradle to be supported by pin 62. When the latter is rocked back to its normal position pin 62 will descend and nose 6: will move the bobbin toward transfer position.

The heads of the reserve bobbins from the front pair of stacks will fall on a support 65 which extends downwardly and rearwardly, see Figs. 2 and 8, while the heads of the bobbins from the rear pair of stacks will fall on a support 66 inclined downwardly and forwardly. These two supports have their adjacent ends spaced to hold the head of a bobbin in transfer position and separate at the time of transfer to allow a bobbin resting on them to move downwardly out of the magazine. The front and rear supports 65 and 66 may be made as shown respectively in Brouwer Patent No. 1,652,604 and Ryon Patent No. 1,366,- 950. The tip of the bobbin in transfer position is supported by a pair of yieldable holders 61, one of which is shown in Fig. 3, made as set forth in Ryon Patent No. 1,563,592.

Cradle operating mechanism The plate 50 has mounted thereon for vertical sliding a plurality of slides I0, II, I2 and 13, see Figs. 3 and 4,'which correspond, respectively, to the bobbin stacks or guides 53, 54, 55 and 55. Each vertical slide is provided with an L-shaped slot 14 at its lower end to receive an operating pin I5 formed as part of the associated cradle. These slides are all normally in their down position but when replenishment is initiated one or another of them will be raised to actuate the corresponding pin 15 and rock the associated cradle to the full line position of Fig. 8. The raised slide is subsequently depressed to give the cradle a reverse motion back to discharge its bobbin toward transfer position.

The mechanism for raising and lowering the vertical slides comprises a horizontal rod I6 slidable in bearings 11 on plate 50 and secured to a stack selector I from which project horizontally spaced fingers 80 and BI adapted for engagement with upper and lower lugs 82 and 83, respectively, on the vertical slides. Fin 85 on selector 18 has sliding engagement with an arm 86 pivoted on rod I6 and connected to the upper end of a dependin rod 81. to the left end of a floating actuator lever 98 pivotally mounted at 89 to a block 90 reciprocating vertically in a fixed guide 9 I. Block 90 is connected to the upper end of a rod 92 the lower end of which is formed with the yieldable head 93, see Fig. 2.

By mechanism to be described hereinafter rod 81 is lowered to rock selector I8 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3 when the shuttle in cell 38 is depleted of weft, thus causing one of the fingers 80 or BI to raise one or another of the vertical slides, depending upon the longitudinal position of the stack selector. The fingers 80 and BI are so spaced that they can cooperate with but one vertical slide at a time and the selector is ordinarily controlled as to horizontal position by mechanism to be described hereinafter. A spring plunger 94 cooperates with each vertical slide, see Fig. 7, to hold it either up or down, as shown in Chevrette Patent No. 1,510,765.

Transfer setting mechanism Plate 50 has rockably mounted in the upper part thereof a transfer setting shaft 95 to which is secured a longitudinal shelf 91 parallel thereto for cooperation with dogs 98 one of which is pivoted to the upper end of each vertical slide, see Fig. '7. A small compression spring 99 located between the dog and its vertical slide moves the dog to the full line position shown in Fig. '7 over shelf 91 when the slide is up, but when the slide isdown the dog is held in the dotted position of Fig. 7 by spring plunger 94 and in engagement with part of plate 50.

The forward end of shaft 95 has secured thereto an arm I00, see Fig. 3, carrying a small block IOI slidable in the slotted end I02 of a lever I03 pivoted to the plate 50 at I04. A compression spring I between block IOI and lever I03 acts as a yielding lock to hold shaft 95 and lever I03 in either of its two extreme angular positions. When lever I03 is in the position shown in Fig. 3 the block I'0I is' at the end of the slot in arm I02 to determine one extreme position of the shaft 95, but when the latter turns clockwise, an adjust- The lower end of rod 81 is pivoted f able stop screw I06 on lever I03 engages part of plate 50 to determine the other extreme position of shaft 95 and lever I03.

Also secured to shaft 95 is a transfer controlling arm I08 connected to rod I09 which controls the transfer latch H0. The transferrer arm II I pivoted on a stud II2 secured to the foot II3 of plate 50 has a heel II4 to engage the butt of the reserve bobbin being transferred. Pivoted to the transferrer arm at H5 is a holder II6 for latch The bottom of rod I09 is looped as at I I! to receive a stud II8 on latch holder H6. The latch H0 is normally down in non-transferring position below the path of a bunter I I9 on the gang GR. When rod I09 is lowered latch I I0 is raised to transfer position, and loop I I1 permits rod I09 to rise while the latch is in engagement with the bunter.

Thread cutter Bobbin changing magazines are usually provided with some form of weft thread cutter to sever the thread of the outgoing bobbin and reset the top shaft 95 after transfer. In the present instance I use a thread cutter C including a bell crank lever I pivoted at !2I to a stand I22 on magazine foot H3. The horizontal arm I 01 of lever I20 is connected to an upwardly extending rod I23 attached to arm I24 secured to shaft 95. Extending downwardly from and pivoted to lever I20 at 58 is a cutter arm I25 to which is pivoted a cutter blade I26 connected to a rod I2! the upper end of which is fixed to a head I28 pivoted on stud I29 held by stand I22. A heavy compression spring 51 pocketed in arm I01 acts to turn cutter arm I25 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 4. Finger 59 on arm I25 engages arm l0! to limit rearward motion of the cutter arm I25. The cutter serves its usual purpose and is described here as a means to reset the magazine and also because of its connection with a revoke: to be described later.

The magazine may be generally of the form shown in Ryon Patent No. 1,030,748, while the 1 thread cutter may be similar to that shown in Ryon Patent No. 1,633,648.

Weft detector The weft detecting mechanism is shown more particularly in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5. A bracket I30 is secured to thetransferrer arm stud H2 and has secured thereto a plate I3I which guides a vertically sliding detector carrier I32. The lower end of the carrier is pivoted to a rod I33 the bottom of which is attached to a collar I34 secured to the bottom of box lifter rod 42, see Fig. 1. The carrier, therefore, rises and falls with shuttle box gang GR.

Mounted on the carrier I32 is a horizontal slide I35 on the rear end of which is pivoted a side slipping detector finger I30 at I31. The finger moves angularly from the full to the dotted line position of Fig. 5 when in engagement with a substantially empty bobbin in the shuttle being detected. Rearward motion of the slide is limited screw !38 on slide I35 which engages a stop I99 on the carrier. A roll I49 on the transferred arm engages a lug I4! on slide I35 to move the latter forwardly on transferring beats of the loom.

A bar I 02 depending from slide I35 engages a stud I43 on the upper end of an arm I44 secured to a small rock shaft I45 mounted on plate I45 bolted to bracket I30 and carrying the block guide 9|. A second arm I41 secured to shaft I45 has pivoted thereto a controller pin I48 which extends rearwardly for longitudinal movement across a vertical slot I49 in part of plate I46 and in which moves the right hand end I50 of the previously described floating lever 88. The bar I42 is part of my invention but is described here to set forth the continuity of parts which transmit force from the feeler tip to controller pin I48. A spring I 5| surrounds shaft I45 and has the left end thereof as viewed in Fi 5 fixed with respect to the plate I46 while the other end is attached to a collar I52 secured to and angularly adjustable on shaft I45. This spring normally holds the controller pin I48 runder lever 88 and serves also to hold the detector slide I yieldingly in rear position. The detector may be similar to that shown in Payne Patent No. 2,050,066.

When the detector finger I36 engages a suflicient supply of weft during advance motion of the lay it will push slide I35 and bar I42 forwardly, thereby rocking arm I4'I forwardly, or to the left as viewed in Fig. 2, to move the controller pin from under the floating actuator lever 88. The latter is therefore free to move downwardly at the time of weft detection and rod 81 will remain substantially unmoved and the selector slide I8 will not be rocked. If the weft is exhausted, however, detector finger I35 will slide along the bobbin to the dotted position in Fig. 5, thus allowing slide I 35 to remain in rear position and the controller pin I48 will remain under the floating lever. As the latter is moved down- Wardly rod 81 is depressed to rock the selector I8 in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3 to raise one or another of the vertical slides.

As shown in Fig. 5, a compression spring I53 acts on lugs I54 on the detector slide I35 and carrier I32 to hold the detector yieldingly in rearward position. This spring I53 is additional to spring I5I and may be similar to the corresponding spring shown in Payne Patent No. 2,650,066.

Cam 01' 4 a: 1 automatic The active shuttle must be picked to the opposite side of the loom on the first pick after a weft detecting operation and then be picked back on the next pick. While at the drop box end of the loom the exhausted shuttle may be moved out of active position in response to the control exercised by the pattern mechanism not shown, and the magazine must delay its release of a bobbin until the period for box shifting is completed, otherwise a bobbin might move to transfer position which did not correspond to the shuttle to be active on the second pick.

The cam I55 which cooperates with the weft detector and magazine when weaving 4 x 1 automatic is similar to those used heretofore and is secured to bottom shaft 33 to rotate in the direction of arrow a, Fig. 10, and rocks a lever I56 movable about a fixed pivot I51 on the loom frame. Head 93 on rod 92 engages a stud I58 adjustable horizontally in a slot I59 in the lower part of the forward end I60 of lever I55. In order to depress rod 92 when the lay is on front center on a detecting beat and give lever 88 a detecting stroke for possible cooperation with the controller pin, the cam is provided with a decline 0 which lowers lever 88 when the loom is near front center and the boxes GR are rising. After detection the cam I55 then rocks lever I56 back to normal position, where it is held by a dwell d until the end of the shifting period for the boxes GL. An incline e on the cam then raises rod 92 to cause the left end of lever 88 as viewed in Fig. 3 to elevate rod 81 for the purpose of rocking the selector to depress its fingers and 8|. End I50 of lever 88 is held against upward motion at this time by pin I5I in plate I46 extending across slot I49. If the active exhausted shuttle returns the previously raised vertical slide will now be depressed and a reverse bobbin will move toward transfer position. When high point f of cam I55 comes into action the rocking of selector slide I8 is completed, after which a decline g returns lever I56, block 90 and lever 88 to normal position, and the cam operation is completed.

It will be seen, therefore, that cam I55 has an active portion for each of the two picks constituting the two-pick cycle of the loom when the latter is operated 4 X 1 automatic and it will further be seen that the periods of activity are separated by an interval long enough to permit completion of the box shifting period of gang GL.

Shift of selector 78, 4 x 1 setting When weaving 4 x l automatic there will be several shuttles having distinctive wefts and the reserve bobbins in the magazine will correspond to the Wefts of these shuttles. In order to insure release of a bobbin of the same color as that carried by the exhausted shuttle the color slide is shifted horizontally by means of a lever I58 pivoted on a stud I69 fixed with respect to the'magazine frame. Rearwardly extending arm I10 on lever I68 is connected to a chain I'II extending across the loom and connected by means not shown to the mechanism which shifts the box gang GL. The selector is caused to slide longitudinally to positions which correspond to the four vertical positions of the gang GL to cause correct registry between fingers 80 and BI and the vertical slides b means of a grooved collar I I2 secure-d to rod 16 maintaining driving connection with the lever I68 throughout the various longitudinal and angular motions of the selector. A spring I73 connected to lever I68 tends to move the selector forwardly while chain I'Il moves the selector rearwardly. Chain III is disconnected from lever I58 when the 4 x 2 'controller for the selector, to be described, is used.

Operation of 4 a; 1 setting The operation of the magazine in the 4 x 1 setting is thought to be evident from the foregoing description. When indicating weft exhaustion the detector effects raising of the vertical slide corresponding to the active shuttle and a reserve bobbin from its stack drops into the associated cradle. The exhausted shuttle is then picked to the opposite side of the loom and before its return the previously raised slide is depressed to move the selected bobbin to transfer position and raise the transferrer latch I I0 into the path of the lay bunter II 9 and also move the thread cutter C rearwardly. The transferrer arm is then lowered to place the fresh bobbin into the shuttle in box 38 and expel the exhausted bobbin downwardly through the box 39, which under these conditions will always be empty. The magazine will be reset during the latter part of the downward motion of the transferrer arm by forward motion of the thread cutter C caused by engagement thereof with the lay.

4 a: 1 transfer re'uoker In the usual automatic loom the shuttle binder at the magazine end must be short enough to allow room for the shuttle position detector, and ordinarily does not project beyond the inner tip of a properly boxed shuttle, but with the construction customarily used in drop boxes this condition does not exist and the binder, and also parts of the box, ordinarily extend toward the center of the loom two or three inches beyond the end of the boxed shuttle.

In order that an initiated transfer maybe revoked should the shuttle be improperly placed I employ the mechanism shown in Fig. 13. The stand I75 for foot H3, used only with the 4 x 1 setting, is provided with a pair of spaced guides I16 in which slides a horizontal revoking bar I" projecting rearwardly toward the lay. Caps I18 assist the guides 116 in causing the revoker bar to move in a substantially straight horizontal line. A pin H9 on the bar extends into a slot I80 on the lower end of an arm l8! the upper end of which is pivoted on stud I29. A link I82 pivoted to arm l8! extends rearward-1y and is pivoted to the cutter arm I25. As shown in Fig. 5 the shuttle binder 34 for the upper cell "38 is slotted as at I83 and a corresponding slot I84 in register with it is formed in the front wall I85 of box 38, and these slots receive the rear end of revoker bar I'll.

Under normal conditions when the thread cutter is forward link I82 holds bar H1 in forward position out of the path of the active shuttle. When the magazine is set for transfer, however, d the thread cutter is moved reawardly, as already described, link I8-2 moves the bar I71 rearwardly across the path of the shuttle. If the shuttle is properly placed an initiated transfer is completed in the usual manner, but if the shuttle is not properly place-d it will move the bar forwardly and act through link I82 and arm 125 to lower rod I23 to cause rocking of top shaft 95 in such a direction as to lift rod H39 and stud H8, thus depressing the transfer latch Ill] before it can be engaged by the hunter H9 as the lay advances, thereby preventing transfer. When weaving 4 x l automatic the drop boxes GR will always be in their lowest position so that top box 38 will be the only cell to receive the weaving shuttles. Thiscondition can be brought about by building the pattern control so that it will maintain cell 33 in active position and also hold the weft detector permanently in low position.

4 :c 2 general features When the loom is to be converted from the 4x I to 4 x 2' setting, the gang GR will be connected to the customary operating mechanism for the shuttle boxes so that it will be up for two picks and then down the next two picks. Under this arrangement the loom operates on a four-pick cycle and the shuttle boxes at one end of the loom will shift while the boxes at the opposite end are stationary for the purpose of always bringing a different shuttle to active position for each succeeding pick of the loom, thereby insuring a rotation of three or more weaving shuttles to mix wefts all of the same kind. The sequence of movement of boxes 38 and 39 under this arrangement will be substantially the same as those shown in my prior Patent No. 2,058,113, except that in the present instance boxes 38 and. 39- are not separated by a blank box. When three weaving shuttles are used the repeat of shuttle box shiftings will be com leted in twelve picks, and during the sequence each shuttle lays four separated single picks. Furthermore, each shuttle will return to box 38 every twelfth pick. The boxes GR will rise during a forward beat of the loom and will be half shifted when the lay reaches front center and will continue their upward shifting until the lay is' in picking position approximately on top center. The boxes will then remain raised and stationary with respect to the lay for approximately a, pick and a half, after which they will shift downwardly. During each four-pick cycle, therefore, the boxes GR shift up during half a pick, remain up during a pick and a half, shift down during half a pick, and remain down for a pick and a half to conclude the cycle.

In order to adapt the magazine already described for 4 x 2 automatic operation provision must be made to fit the two-pick cycle of the magazine controlling. mechanisms into the fourpick cycle of shuttle box motions in such a way that the magazine will never be able to initiate and complete a transfer when the gang GR is down, and it is further necessary to initiate and complete transfer during that part of the fourpick cycle in which the exhausted shuttl is inactive in cell 38. Furthermore, provision must be' made for permitting the weft detector to control the position of the controller pin even though thedetector rises and falls with cell 33, and the magazine must be held in high position to clear cell 38 when the latter is up.

4 a: 2 automatic pick and. pick With the gang GR connected to its actuating mechanism to rise and fall as described, box 38 will start up immediately after receiving one of the weaving shuttles and will be moved forwardly toward the weft detector by the lay. The detector rises with gang GR and remains aligned with cell 33 because of rod I33. If thedetector engages a full supply of weft it will move forwardly and cause the bar M2 to move arm 144 forwardly, thereby moving the controller pin from under the actuator lever 88. Bar I42 is long enough to exercise this control during the up motion of the detector. If weft exhaustion is indicated, however, the bar M2 will remain substantially unchanged, sliding upwardly relatively to arm I44, and the unmoved controller pin will cause rocking of the selector to raise one or another of the vertical slides, as is the case with 4 x 1 setting.

Upward motion of the vertical slide will be completed shortly after the loom has passed front center position and while the shuttle boxes are still rising. The ensuing transfer must take place while the boxes are still raised and since the cycle of the loom is such that there will be but one more front center position of the lay before the gang GR starts down, the selector slide must act sooner after indication of weft exhaustion to depress the raised vertical slide than was the case with the 4 x 1 setting; This earlier lowering of the vertical slide is not interfered with by the shifting of gang GL, since the latter is not connected to the selector in the 4 x 2 setting.

Cam for 4 as 2' setting gages the weft in rising box 38. The decline it leads immediately to a high point m without an intermediate dwell and thus effects a quick reversal of the selector to depress a raised vertical slide and release a reserve bobbin by the time the lay reaches back center. High point m then leads to a long intermediate dwell n which holds lever I56 stationary for approximately a whole pick I of the loom. The released bobbin thus has time to cometo rest in transfer position before the transferrer arm starts down, and the transfer operation takes place while dwell n is holding the selector from turning on its axis.

Since the magazine is in high position, the stud I58 will be in the upper slot I88 in lever I56. Slot I88 is above slot I59 by a distance substantially equal to that through which the magazine is raised to convert it from the 4 x 1 to the 4 x 2 setting.

Locking of weft detector 4 a: 2 setting The cam I81 will again move lever I56 when the boxes GR move down to render cell 38 active and the detector could therefore start a replenishing operation unless prevented from doing so. In order to prevent indication of exhaustion at this time I provide a lock I90, see Fig. 5, pivoted at I9I to the vertically reciprocating detector slide I32 and having a shoe I92 slightly eccentric with respect to the center I9I. A laterally extending arm I93 rigid with the shoe bears against a cam I94 bolted at I 95 to the bracket I38. A light tension spring I96 between arm I93 and a fixed part I9'I of carrier I32 holds arm I93 against the cam and also tends to move the shoe into frictional holding engagement with the side of detector slide I35. Cam I94 is shown more particularly in Fig. 6 and has a downwardly and rearwardly inclined surface I98 along which the arm I93 slides during vertical shifting of the weft detector.

The weft detector will have been moved to a forward position before it starts down with the box 38, either by engagement with a sufficient supply of weft to prevent slipping of the detector finger, or by engagement of roll I40 with lug I41 on detector slide I35. The upper part of surface I98 permits the lock to hold the detector forwardly when the detector is in high position independently of the lay position.

During the first part of the downward motion of the boxes GR occurring when the lay is forward the shuttle in box 38 will approach the detector but the latter is still held forwardly by the lock and cannot indicate weft exhaustion. Arm I93 moves rearwardly and downwardly along surface I98 but does not move the shoe sufliciently to unlock the detector until the lay has moved rearwardly to a point where the bobbin is out of reach of the detector finger when the latter isfinally released. In this way the detector is prevented from striking the bobbin in descending box 38 on that pick of the loom when the active part of cam I8! is giving lever 88 a detecting stroke. The lock, therefore, serves the purpose of enabling the two-pick cycle cam I81 to be used with the four-pick cycle box shift at the magazine end with assurance that no replenishing operation will be initiated on that half of the fourpick cycle when the box 39 is down.

Dwell on 4 a: 2 cam Occasionally the'remaining weft on the bobbin may not slip on its first engagement with the detector as boxes GR rise but will slip on the second engagement when the lay again beats up.

Should this happen and should the lock simultaneously fail, the dwell n of cam I 81 will hold the actuator lever 88 stationary during the second beat-up and will prevent the slipping of the detector from becoming an indication of weft exhaustion and transfer will not be initiated. This control exercised by dwell n is also useful when the boxes are fully down on the last of the four picks of the cycle, and even though the detector finger should slip on this last beat thedwell IL will prevent communication -of the indication to the magazine.

In the four-pick cycle, therefore, it is seen that the detector is free to initiate transfer on the first of the four picks when the boxes are rising, but will be prevented from communicating an indication to the magazine during the second and fourth picks by reason of the dwell n and will be locked by'shoe I92 during the third pick until after the lay has moved rearwardly too far to permit engagement of the detector finger with the weft in the descending box 38. v

4 a: 2 bobbin selector When weaving 4 x 2 automatic it is desirable to mix the bobbins at the magazine as well as in the weaving shuttles so that the uniformity in the resultant fabric will be due not only to the rotation of the weaving shuttles but also to the fact that the bobbins are drawn in rotation from the different stacks of the magazine, and in order that this rotation at the magazine may be effected I employ a control for the selector slide such as shown in Figs. 4., 9 and 12. A fixed stud 2H) on plate 58 has rotatably mounted on it a ratchet wheel 2 having eight teeth 2I2. The ratchet is bolted as at 2I3 to a lock wheel 2I4 having eight notches to cooperate with a yielding lock lever 2I5. Pinned to the lock wheel is a selector cam 2I6 having high and low areas 2H and 2I8, respectively, see Fig. 12, corresponding each to two successive teeth of the ratchet wheel, and intermediate areas 2I9 adjacent the high area and 220 adjacent the low area, corresponding each to a tooth of the ratchet wheel.

An operating pawl 22I for the ratchet is pivoted at 222 to an arm 223 which moves about a fixed stud 224 on the magazine frame, and a spring 225 holds the pawl yieldingly against the ratchet. A rod 226 connects lever 223 to an arm 22'! fixed to the top shaft 95. A roll 228 on arm I68 is held by spring I13 in engagement with the cam and as the latter rotates the selector is moved longitudinally to different positions depending upon which area of the cam engages the roll.

When the top shaft 95 is rocked in a right hand direction as viewed in Fig. 3, rod 226 will depress arm 223 to lower pawl 22I into position for engaging the next ratchet tooth. As the shaft 95 is given a reverse motion upon resetting of the magazine the rod 226 will lift the pawl to rock the ratchet, the lock plate, and the selector cam one-eighth of a rotation, thereby changing the position of the cam and roll 228 to shift the selector laterally with respect to the vertical slides of the magazine either by the cam or spring I13. Should the roll 228 be on the first part of either the high or low areas of the cam there will be no shift of the selector. In this Way most of the successive transfers involve bobbins derived from different vertical stacks and there is a mixing with respect to the stacks of origin in the magazine as the bobbins are selected for transfer. The lever 223 may be used in connection with a bobbin release employed with the 4. x 1 setting of the magazine not shown herein but set forth in Patent No. 1,307,024 to Ryon.

It should be noted that the cam 2I5 turns to shift the selector while dwell n of cam I81 holds the lever 88 in intermediate position with fingers 80 and 8| of the selector free to move longitudinally without interfering with lugs 82 and 83 of the vertical slides. When weaving 4 x 1 pawl 22I will be disconnected from the ratchet wheel, and low dwell 2I8 is moved to engage roll 228 on lever I68.

4 m 2 shuttle position detector In the 4 x 2 setting it is important to prevent transfer if the shuttle is improperly positioned and I accomplish this result by a shuttle feeler finger 254 secured to the slide I35 and projecting rearwardly and spaced laterally far enough from the detector finger I36 to permit lateral indicating motion thereof, see Fig. 5. If the shuttle in cell 38 is improperly positioned as the boxes GR rise it will push finger 254 and the feeler slide forwardly, thereby moving the controller pin I48 from under the lever 88 to prevent initiation of transfer. If the shuttle is correctly placed, finger 254 has no effect and indication of weft exhaustion and transfer can occur as previously described.

Magazine mounting In each of its two vertical positions the magazine must be properly aligned with respect to and at the same distance from box 38 when transfer occurs. The primary magazine supports I15 and I86 shown in Figs. 15 and 16 are for the magazine foot H3 in the 4 x l and 4 x 2 settings, respectively. Stand I15 has a vertical web 230 to be held to the adjacent loomside by bolts 23I in slots 232 in the web. A horizontal plate 233 projects laterally from web 230 to support foot II3 to which it is held by bolts 234. A lug 235 on web 23!] overlies the loomside and vertically positions plate 233 and therefore the magazine. If desired, however, guides I16 can support stand I15 in the 4 x 1 setting. The other support I86 has a web 236 which can be held to the loomside by bolts 23I passing through slots 232, and has also a lug 231 similar to lug 235. The lateral plate 238 of web 236, however, is higher than plate 233 relatively to the lugs by an amount equal to the vertical distance between the box cells 38 and 39. These two supports are interchangeable on the loom and are preferably held to the loomside and the magazine foot by the same bolts, whether the setting be 4 x 1 or 4 x 2, Support IE5 is not provided with guides I16 and there is no chance that the revoker bar I11 will be used with the 4 x 2 setting.

The upper part of the magazine is held in a manner somewhat similar to that set forth in Verry Patent No. 2,102,864. Extending upwardly from fixed structure on the loom is an angle bar 245 to the upper end of which is bolted the outer end of a rod 245. The inner end of this rod is held to a lug 241 on the arch 2 38 of the loom frame. Extending rearwardly from the end plates 50 and El of the magazine are horns .250 connected by a rod 25I, and links 252 connect rods 246 and 25I. The rod 25I can assume either of two vertical positions depending upon which of the supports I15 or IBS is used, and the rod; 246; is so placed that when the magazine is in high position links 252 will be inclined downwardly toward the rear, but when the magazine is in low position the links will be inclined upwardly and rearwardly. By having bar 246 located approximately half way between the high and low positions which can be assumed by the rod 25I very little if any adjustment is required when shifting from one to the other of the automatic settings of the magazine. The lug 241 is provided with a horizontal slot 253 which permits a slight horizontal adjustment of the rod 246, however, should slight adjustment be needed.

4 a: 4 non-automatic setting Thus far the description has been concerned with the operation of the loom either as a 4 x 1 or 4 x 2 automatic, but the loom can also be used for 4 x 4 non-automatic weaving. When this third setting is employed the magazine is disconnected from its supporting foot, slid outwardly on rod 246, and swung upwardly and backwardly around rod 246 to the non-operative position shown in dot and dash lines in Figs. 3 and 4, much in the manner set forth in the previously mentioned Verry patent. When so placed the magazine will rest on an arm 255 on upright 245 and be held high enough to be out of the path of shifting of gang GR in the 4 x 4 setting. The detector swings rearwardly along with the magazine androd I33 will be disconnected from the box lifter rod. The exhausted bobbin chute 256 is removed and the gang GR connected to the box motion so that any one of the four cells 38, 39, 40 and AI can become active.

Outer guide for gang GR- The weft ends which extend from the reserve bobbins in the magazine are ordinarily held by a thread holder 251 and lie a short distance above the lay. When the loom is weaving automatically the outer box guide 31 has a short upper end which swings back and forth with the lay under the threads without engaging them. When the loom is used for non-automatic 4 x 4 weaving the guide'31 is not high enough and I add an extra guide 258 which is held to guide 31 by bolts 259, see dotted lines of Fig. 1 and Fig. 1'1. In non-automatic weaving there will be no weft ends and the extra guide 258 can be used to provide the four cells of a gang GR with a sufficiently long outer guide.

Summary From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a loom which with slight adjustments can be adapted either for weaving 4 x 1 automatic with diversity of colors in the weaving shuttle and magazine, or pick and pick filling mixing automatic wherein weaving shuttles all carry the same character of weft and wherein the magazine by reason of the selector cam effects a mixing of the bobbins as they are drawn from the several stacks in the magazine. It will also be seen that provision is made for mounting the magazine in two different vertical positions by means of the supports I15 and I86, the diiference in vertical height of the magazine inthese two settings being equal substantially to the difference in the centers of the cells 38 and 39 in the gang GR. It will further be noted thatprovision is made for revoking an initiating transfer with the 4 x 1 setting by means of mechanism which is mounted on the support I15 but which cannot be mounted on the support I86. Furthermore, it will be seen that thelock for the detector shown in Fig. 5, together with the long dwell in the 4 x 2 cam I81 permits the detector to initiate transfer on the first pick only of the four-pick cycle employed when weaving 4 X 2 automatic, despite the fact that the cam i8'i is on a shaft which has a complete rotation in two picks. The lever I56 is used for both automatic settings and has provision for connection with the rod 92 at two different elevations depending upon the vertical setting of the magazine. The magazine and the detector together with the actuator lever 88 and the controller pin move as a unit because of the bracket I30 and those parts which initiate and also complete a transferring operation moves the unit except the bunter H9, which however is determined as to position by the gang GR. when weaving 4 x 2.

Certain features set forth in the foregoing description, such as the high and low position of the magazine, and the brace for the upper end of the magazine, are not claimed herein but are made the subject matter of a divisional application Serial No. 538,604, filed June 3, 1944.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a weft replenishing filling mixing pick and pick loom having two shuttle boxe which shift in a four-pick cycle, means to move the upper shuttle box to inactive position during the first pair of picks of the four-pick cycle and move said upper box to active position during the second pair of picks of the four-pick cycle, weft replenishing mechanism over the shuttle boxes to replenish the shuttle in the upper box during a replenishing operation to be initiated and cornpleted in the first pair of picks of the cycle, said mechanism including a weft detector to indicate weft exhaustion in the shuttle in the upper box during the first part of said first pair of picks, reserve bobbin releasing mechanism, transfer mechanism, and an actuator having a two-pick cycle of movement and cooperating with the weft detector when the latter indicates weft exhaustion to effect operation of the bobbin releasing means and transfer mechanism during said first pair of picks subsequent to indication of exhaustion, and means to prevent cooperation of the weft detector and actuator during the said second pair of picks of the four-pick cycle of the loom.

2. In a weft replenishing pick and pick filling mixing loom having a gang of two shuttle boxes which shift in a four-pick cycle, means to move the upper shuttle box to inactive position during the first pair of picks of the four-pick cycle and move said upper shuttle to active position during the second pair of picks of the same four-pick cycle, a member having successive cycles of movements each cycle of which is completed within two successive picks of the loom, a weft detector to indicate exhaustion of weft in said upper shuttle box during said first pair of picks of a four pick cycle, weft replenishing mechanism controlled by said member in cooperation with the weft detector to effect replenishment of the shuttle in said upper shuttle box when the weft in said upper shuttle box is exhausted and during the first pair of picks of said four-pick cycle, and means to prevent said member from cooperating with the weft detector during the second pair of picks of said four-pick cycle.

3. In a weft replenishing pick and pick filling mixing loom having a gang of two shuttle boxes which shift in a four-pick cycle, means to move the upper shuttle box toward inactive position during the first pair of picks of a four-pick cycle and move said upper shuttle toward active position during the second pair of picks of said fourpick cycle, a member having successive movements including a working stroke in two-pick cycles, the successive working strokes being contemporaneous with the movements of the shuttle boxes during the successive pairs of picks of the four-pick cycle, weft replenishing mechanism to effect replenishment of weft in the shuttle in the upper box within a two-pick cycle of movements of said member when set for transfer, a weft detector to indicate exhaustion of weft in the upper box during the first pair of picks of said fourpick cycle and cooperate with the member to set the magazine for transfer, and means to prevent the weft detector from cooperating with the member during said second pair of picks of said four-pick cycle.

4. In a weft replenishing pick and pick filling mixing loom having a gang of two shuttle boxes which shift in a four-pick cycle, means to move the upper shuttle box toward inactive position during the first pair of picks of a four-pick cycle and move said upper shuttle toward active position during the second pair of picks of said fourpick cycle, a member having successive cycles of movements each cycle of which is completed within two successive picks of the loom, a weft detector to indicate weft exhaustion in a shuttle in the upper box during the first pair of picks of said four-pick cycle, a stack of reserve bobbins, reserve bobbin releasing mechanism for the stack having a two-step movement the first movement of which is preparatory to release and the second movement of which effects release, means cooperating with said member'and the weft detector when the latter indicates exhaustion of weft to effect the first step in the movement of the releasing means during the first part of said first pair of picks of said four-pick cycle, said member thereafter causing the means to effect the second step in the movement of the releasing mechanism during the same pair of two picks in which the first step is effected, means thereafter operative to transfer the released bobbin into the shuttle in the upper box during the latter part of said first pair of picks of the fourpick cycle, and means to prevent cooperation between said member and the Weft detector during the second pair of picks of said four-pick cycle of the loom and thereby prevent the first movement of the two-step movement of said bobbin releasing mechanism during said second pair of picks.

5. In a weft replenishing pick and pick filling mixing loom having two shuttle boxes each movable to and from active position, means to move the boxes in a sequence which is completed in a four-pick cycle of the loom comprising two successive pairs of picks and move the upper shuttle box toward inactive position during the first part of the first pair of picks of the cycle and move said upper shuttle box toward active position during the first part of the second pair of picks of the same cycle, a weft detector to indicate weft exhaustion in said upper box, weft replenishing mechanism over said shuttle boxes controlled by the weft detector and effective when set for transfer to complete a weft replenishing operation within two picks of the loom after indication of weft exhaustion by the weft detector, an actuator to set the replenishing mechanism for transfer and having an operative movement during the first pick of each of said pairs of picks and being idle during the second pick of each of said pairs of picks, means controlled by the weft detector and controlling the actuator to cause the latter to set the weft replenishing mechanism for transfer when said detector indicates weft exhaustion, and mechanism to prevent said means from causing the actuator to set the replenishing mechanism for transfer during the second of said pairs of picks of the four-pick cycle.

6. In a weft replenishing pick and pick filling mixing loom having two shuttle boxes each movable to and from active position, means to move the boxes in a cycle which is completed in a fourpick cycle of the loom which comprises two successive pairs of picks and move the upper shuttle box toward inactive position during the first part of the first pair of picks of the cycle and move said upper shuttle box toward active position during the first part of the second pair of picks of the same cycle, a weft detector to indicate weft exhaustion in said upper box, weft replenishing mechanism over said shuttle boxes controlled by the weft detector and effective when set for transfer to complete a weft replenishing operation within two picks of the loom after indication of weft exhaustion by the Weft detector, an actuator to set the replenishing mechanism for transfer when having a setting stroke and having an operative movement during the first and third picks and being idle during the second and fourth picks of the four-pick cycle, means to cause the operative movement of the actuator to become a setting stroke for the replenishing mechanism when the detector indicates weft exhaustion during the first pick of the cycle, and mechanism to prevent the operative movement of the actuator during the third pick of the cycle from becoming a setting stroke.

.7. In a weft replenishing pick and pick filling mixing loom having a gang of two shuttle boxes which shift in a four-pick cycle, means to move the upper shuttle box toward inactive position during the first pair of picks of the four-pick cycle and move said upper shuttle toward active position during the second pair of picks of the same four-pick cycle, a member having successive cycles of movements each cycle of which has a working stroke is completed during the first part of each pair of picks of the cycle, a weft detector normally in detecting position during the first part of the first pair of picks, said detector capable of indicating weft exhaustion when in normal position and incapable of indicating exhaustion when out of normal position, means cooperating with the weft detector and member when the latter has a working stroke to cause a weft replenishing operation of the loom when the detector indicates weft exhaustion, and means to hold the detector out of normal position during the first part of the second of said pairs of picks of the four-pick cycle.

8. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay and a shuttle box thereon shiftable upwardly relatively to the lay, a reserve bobbin magazine over the shuttle box, bobbin release mechanism on the magazine, an actuator.for the release mechanism having a stroke when the shuttle box shifts upwardly, a controller fo the actuator movable horizontally to and from control position relatively to the actuator and if in control position during the stroke of the actuator causing the latter to operate the bobbin release mechanism, a weft detector moving upwardly with the shuttle box and operative while the box is rising to indicate weft exhaustion in the shuttle box, and means controlled by the detector during rising motion thereof to determine the horizontal position of the controlier and cause the latter to be in control position with respect to the actuator when the detector indicates weft exhaustion.

9. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay and a shuttle box thereon which rises and falls relatively to the lay, a reserve bobbin magazine over the shuttle box, bobbin releasing mechanism on the magazine, an actuator for the release mechanism having working strokes when the shuttle box rises with respect to the lay, a controller for the actuator movable horizontally to and from control position relatively to the actuator and when in control position during a working stroke of the actuator causing the latter to operate the bobbin release mechanism, a weft detector moving upwardly with the shuttle boxes and operative while the boxes are rising to indicate weft exhaustion in the shuttle box, and operating means between the controller and weft detector positioned by the latter during rising motion thereof to determine the horizontal position of the controller and cause the latter to be in controlling position with respect to the actuator when the detector indicates weft exhaustion.

10. In a weft replenishing loom having a shuttle box which rises and falls with respect to the lay, a reserve bobbin magazine over the shuttle box, a bobbin release mechanism on the magazine, an actuator for the bobbin release mechanism having a normally uninterrupted vertical stroke when the shuttle box shifts upwardly and sufficient weft is present in the shuttle box, a controller for the actuator movable horizontally into and out of the path of the actuator and when in the path thereof during a working stroke of the actuator interrupting the normal movement of the latter, means operative when the actuato is interrupted to operate the bobbin release mechanism, a weft detector moving upwardly with the shuttle box and operative while rising to detect the condition of weft in the shuttle box, and operating means between the controller and the detector operative during rising motion of the latter to determine the position of the controller with respect to the actuator and cause the controller to be in the path of the actuator when the weft detector indicates weft exhaustion.

11. In a weft replenishing 100m having a lay and shuttle boxes which shift relatively to the lay in a four pick cycle to move the top box to raised inactive position for one pair of picks of the cycle and then move the top box to lowered active position for the second pair of picks of the cycle, a magazine having a plurality of stacks of reserve bobbins of the same kind, a bobbin release mechanism for each stack, a stack selector movable longitudinally to selecting position with respect to each stack, one at a time, said selector when in selecting position movable in one three tion to move the associated release mechanism in one direction to initiate bobbin release and movable thereafter in the opposite direction to complete an initiated release of a bobbin, a weft detector to detect the condition of weft in said top box during said one pair of picks, an actuator for the selector having a movement in one direc tion during the first part of said one pair of picks and having immediately thereafter in said pair of picks a second movement in the opposite direction, means controlled by the detector when indicating weft exhaustion to cause the actuator by movement thereof in said one direction to move the release mechanism registered therewith to initiate release of a bobbin, the actuator immediately thereafter completing the initiated release of the bobbin, and advancing mechanism for the selector controlled by the actuator when the latter completes an initiated transfer and effective within said one pair of picks to cause the selector to register with another stack and release mechanism therefor.

12. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay and shuttle boxes which shift relatively to the lay in a four pick cycle to move the top box to raised inactive position for one pair of picks of the cycle and then move the top box to lowered active position for the second pair of picks of the cycle, a magazine having a plurality of stacks of reserve bobbins of the same kind, a bobbin release mechanism for each stack, a stack selector movable longitudinally into registry with each stack, one at a time, selector actuator means operative during said first pair of picks of the cycle upon occurrence of weft exhaustion in said top box to rock the selector first in one direction and then in the opposite direction to move the release mechanism registered with the selector first to initiate and thereafter complete release of a bobbin from the associated stack, registering means to cause the selector to move from registry with said associated stack to registry with another stack, and operating mechanism for the registering means having a part movable into the path of the lay by a force derived from the actuato means when the latter moves the release means corresponding to said associated stack to complete an initiated bobbin release, the lay thereafter operative during said one pair of picks to move said part and cause the operating mechanism to effect operation of the registering means to cause the selector to register with said othe stack while said top shuttle box remains in inactive position.

13. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay and shuttle boxes which shift relatively to the lay in a four pick cycle to move the top box to raised inactive position for one pair of picks of the cycle and then move the top box to lowered active position for the second pair of picks of the cycle, a magazine having a plurality of stacks of reserve bobbins of the same kind, a bobbin release mechanism for each stack, a stack selector movable longitudinally into registry with each stack, one at a time, selector actuator means operative during said first pair of picks of the cycle upon occurrence of weft exhaustion in said top box to rock the selector first in one direction and then in the opposite direction to move the release mechanism registered with the selector first to initiate and thereafter complete release of a bobbin from the associated stack, registering means to cause the selector to move from registry with said associated stack to registry with another stack, and operating mechanism for the registerreplenishing operations can occur and a second pair of picks during which the top shuttle box is active and during which replenishing operations are prevented, a magazine having a plurality of stacks of reserve bobbins all of the same kind, bobbin release means for each stack, a stack selector movable into registry with the release means, one at a time, a selector actuator operative during the first pair of picks of one cycle to cause the selector first to move the release means registered therewith in one direction to initiate bobbin release and immediately thereafter move the release means in the opposite direction to complete bobbin release, registering means to cause the selector to move from registry with one release means to registry with another release means, and operating mechanism for the registering means to cause the latter to move the selector into register with said other release means subsequent to movement of the release means in said opposite direction and prior to said second pair of picks of said one cycle, whereby at the beginning of a second four pick cycle the selector will be in register with a release means different from that with which it was in register during the first pair of picks of the previous four pick cycle.

15. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay reciprocating between front and back positions and having a shuttle box which rises from active to inactive position relatively to the lay when the latter is in the forward part of its motion and remains in raised inactive position until after the lay has reached front position a second time, a stack of reserve bobbins, a cradle at the bottom of the stack normally empty and movable in one direction to receive a bobbin from the stack and thereafter movable in the opposite direction to discharge the bobbin to transfer position, a weft detector to detect the condition of weft in said shuttle box when the latter is rising when the lay is first in forward position, an actuator for the cradle having a normally idle motion in a direction to move the cradle in said one direction and immediately thereafter having a working stroke in the opposite direction which is completed before the lay reaches said second front position and while the shuttle box remains inactive, means controlled by the detector when the latter indicates weft exhaustion to interrupt the normally idle motion of the actuator, operating mechanism between the actuator and cradle to give the latter a motion in said one direction to receive a bobbin from said stack when the normally idle motion of the actuator is interrupted, said operating mechanism thereafter causing said working stroke of the actuator to move the cradle in said opposite direction to discharge the bobbin in the cradle to transfer position.

16. In a Weft replenishing loom having a lay reciprocating between front and back positions and having a shuttle box which rises from active to inactive position relatively to the lay when the latter is in the forward part of its motion and remains in raised inactive position until after the lay has reached front position a second time, a stack of reserve bobbins, bobbin release mechanism movable in one direction to initiate movement of a bobbin in the stack toward transfer position and movable in the opposite direction to advance the bobbin to transfer position, a weft detector to detect the condition of weft in the shuttle box when the latter is rising, an actuator for the release mechanism having a normally idle motion in one direction corresponding to said one direction in which the release mechanism is movable and immediately thereafter having a working stroke in the opposite direction corresponding to said opposite direction in which the release mechanism moves while the shuttle box is inactive and before the lay reaches front position said second time, means controlled by the detector when indicating weft exhaustion in the shuttle box to interrupt the normally idle motion of the actuator, connections between the actuator and release mechanism to give the latter a motion in said one direction to initiate movement of a bobbin toward transfer position when the idle motion of the actuator is interrupted, said connections thereafter operative to cause said working stroke of the actuator to give the release mechanism said movement in the opposite direction to discharge the bobbin to transfer position, and means operative subsequent to movement of the release mechanism in said opposite direction to transfer the bobbin in transfer position into the shuttle box by the time the lay reaches said second front position.

17. In a weft replenishin loom having a backwardly and forwardly reciprocating lay and having shuttle boxes which shift in a fourpick cycle during the first pick of which the upper shuttle box rises to inactive position and during the third pick of which the upper shuttle box descends to active position, said movements of the shuttle boxes occurring when the lay is in the forward part of its motion, a weft detector rising and falling with the upper shuttle box to detect the condition of weft therein and located in front of the boxes, said upper shuttle box moving toward the detector on each forward motion of the lay, a stationary magazine having reserve weft bobbins located over the shuttle boxes, transfer mechanism on the magazine controlled by the weft detector and including a normally inactive latch movable to transfer position at a given level relatively to the magazine incidental to an indication of weft exhaustion by the weft detector, and a transfer bunter on the shuttle boxes movable forwardly toward the latch when the latter is in transfer position during the second pick of the cycle and movable forwardly along a path below the latch when the latter is in transfer position during the fourth pick of the cycle, movement of the latch to transfer position incident to an indication of weft exhaustion during the first pick of the cycle causing cooperation between the latch and bunter durin the second pick of the cycle due to the raised position of the shuttle boxes when the upper shuttle box is in replenishing position relatively to the magazine, and indication by the weft detector during the third pick of the cycle moving the latch from normal to transfer position above the path of the bunter to prevent cooperation between the latch and the bunter during the fourth pick of the cycle due to the fact that the shuttle boxes are in low position, whereby an attempted replenishing operation of the loom incident to an indication of weft exhaustion given by the detector during the third pick of the cycle will be prevented when the boxes are in down position and out of transferring relationship with respect to the magazine.

18. In a weft replenishing loom having a backwardly and forwardly reciprocating lay and having shuttle boxes which shift in a four-pick cycle during the first pick of which the boxes rise to move the top box from active to inactive transfer position, and during the third pick of which the boxes drop to move the top shuttle box from inactive to active non-transfer position, a weft detector in front of the upper box, means to cause the detector to rise and fall with the shuttle boxes and maintain the detector in alignment'with the top shuttle box, the latter moving toward the detector on each forward stroke of the lay, transfer mechanism on the magazine including the latch movable from normal to transfer position, an actuator having operating movements on the first and third picks of the cycle and being idle on the second and fourth picks of the cycle, and means controlled by the detector when the latter indicates weft exhaustion in the top shuttle box to cause the actuator to move the latch from normal to transfer position on those picks of the cycle when the actuator has its operative movements, the latch when in transferring position during the second pick of the cycle cooperating with the bunter to operate the transfer mechanism due to the raised position of the boxes and the latch when in transfer position during the fourth pick of the cycle being above and, out of cooperating relationship with respect to the bunter due to the low position of the shuttle boxes, whereby a replenishing operation initiated bythe weft detector during the first pick of the cycle will be completed when the boxes are raised and in proper transfer position with respect to the magazine and a replenishing operation initiated during the third pick of the cycle when the shuttle boxes are in non-transfer position will be prevented.

19. In a weft replenishing loom having a rising and fallin weft detector registering with a shuttle box which shifts on a four pick cycle and rises during one pair of picks and falls during the next pair of picks, weft replenishing mechanism including a bobbin releaser and an actuator therefor controlled by the detector and capable of operating the releaser during any pair of picks, provided the detector indicates weft exhaustion in said shuttle box, and means operating at four pick intervals preventing the detector from indicating weft exhaustion during those pairs of picks when the shuttle box is falling.

20. In a weft replenishing loom having a backwardly and forwardly reciprocating lay and having a shuttle box which shifts from active to inactive position and later shifts back to active position, said movements of the shuttle box occurring when the lay is in the forward part of its motion, a weft detector shifting with the shuttle box to detect the condition of weft therein and located in front of the box, a bobbin magazine located over the shuttle box, transfer mechanism controlled by the weft detector and including a normally inactive latch movable to transfer position at a given level incidental to an indication of weft exhaustion by the weft detector whether the shuttle box be moving toward inactive or active position, and a transfer bunter on the shuttle box movable toward the latch when the latter is in transfer position and the shuttle box is in inactive position and movable along a path below the latch when the latter is in transfer position and the shuttle box is in active position, movement of the latch to transfer position incidental to an indication of weft exhaustion when the shuttle box is shifting to inactive position causing cooperation between the latch and bunter due to the fact that the shuttle box is in inactive position and movement of the transfer latch to transfer position incidental to an indication of weft exhaustion by the detector when the shuttle box is shifting to active position preventing cooperation between the latch and the bunter due to the fact that the shuttle box is in active position.

21. In a weft replenishing loom having a backwardly and forwardly reciprocating lay and having a shuttle box which shifts from active positic-n to inactive transfer position and later shifts back to active non-transfer position while the lay is in the forward part of the movement thereof, a Weft detector in front of and shifting with the shuttle box, transfer mechanism including a latch movable from normal to transfer position, an actuator having operating movements when the box shifts either to inactive or active position, a bunter on the box to operate the latch, and means controlled by the detector when the latter indicates weft exhaustion in the shuttle box when the latter is shifting either to inactive or active position to cause the actuator to move the latch from normal to transfer position, the latch when in transfer position cooperating with the bunter to operate the transfer mechanism when the shuttle box is in inactive transfer position and the latch when in transfer position being out of cooperating relationship with respect to the bunter when the'shuttle box is in active nontransfer position.

22. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay provided with a shuttle box which shifts from active to inactive position and later shifts back to active position while the lay is in the forward part of the movement thereof, the loom having a magazine which releases a bobbin from transfer position subsequent to the normal time for transfer if the bobbin fails to be transferred, a weft detector in front of and shifting with the shuttle box, transfer mechanism including a latch movable from normal non-transferring position to transferring position incident to indication of weft exhaustion by the weft detector whether the detector indicates exhaustion during shifting of the shuttle box to inactive position or to active position, a bunter for cooperation with the latch moving with the shuttle box, and means controlled by the detector when the latter indicates weft exhaustion to move the latch to transfer position, the shuttle box when in inactive posion positioning the bunter for cooperation with the latch if the latter is in transfer position and the shuttle box when in active position placing the hunter out of position for cooperation with the latch when the latter is in transfer position.

RICHARD G. TURNER. 

